Paper cup container and dispenser



Aug. 29, 1950 E. G. GILBERTSEN PAPER cu? CONTAINER AND DISPENSER FiledJuly 19, 1947 //7I/Qflf'0f:-

EINAR G. GILBERTSEN Arfomey Patented Aug. 29, 1950 s UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE FAPER CUP CONTAINER AND DISPENSER Einar G. Gilbertsen,Bremerton, Wash.

Application July 19, 1947, Serial No. 762,160

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-43) This invention relates to drinking cup containers, and it has reference more particularly to a container in whicha stack of nested paper drinking cups may be supported and from which ithe cups may be drawn, one at a time, as needed.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide a simplified andpractical container, adapted to be attached to a wall, or other form ofsupport, to receive the stack of nested cups,

and to support the stack with the lowermost cup extended from thecontainer in a manner permitting it to be grasped and withdrawn whileothers of the stack will be retained and the stack permitted to feeddownwardly as the cups are successively removed.

It is also an object of my invention to provide novel means of supportfor the stack of cups that may be readily adjusted to adapt thecontainer for the support of cups of dilferent sizes.

Yet another object of the invention is toprovide a device for thispurpose that is attractive, sanitary and inexpensive.

Other objects of the invention reside in the details of construction andcombination of the parts embodied in the device, in their assembledrelationship, and in the mode of use of the con tainer as willhereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention,I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferredforms of which are, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein--Fig. 1 is a top view of the present container and its attaching means,parts being broken away for better understanding of construction.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, with one of the brush holders incross-section.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the container with parts broken away,particularly for better illustration of the cup supports, and showingthe position of the lower end of the cup stack as held in the container.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustable member of the stacksupporting means that is used in the container.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View, in reduced scale, of the stationary orfixed member of the stack supporting means used in the container.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the container attaching bracket, with apart broken out for better understanding of construction details.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- First, it is to be explainedthat the present device is a container for holding stacks of nestedpaper cups which are round in horizontal crosssection, tapered fromtheir upper to their lower ends, and formed about their upper ends withoutwardly curled beads. When the cups are nested, the beads rest oneupon the other, as will be understood by reference to Fig. 3 of thedrawing, wherein the lowermost cup of the stack is designated by numeralIll, and the bead at its upper end is designated at H.

The container embodied by this invention, and designated in its entiretyby reference character l2, comprises a case or housing of metal or othersuitable material, with opposite side walls I3 and I3", and front andback walls l4 and Hi. In horizontal cross-section the container issubstantially square and of such size as to receive the stack of cupstherein with substantial clearance,

as seen in Fig. 1.

At its lower end, the housing is open and at its upper end, it is fittedwith a lid or cover l8 that has its lower edge portion adapted to bereceived in an internal slip fit joint within the upper end of thehousing as seen in Fig. 3.

For its functional support, I provide the housing I2 with an attachingblock 20 that may be fixed to the back wall l5 of the housing as seen inFig. 1, by screws 2| passed through holes in the wall and threaded intothe block. The block is recessed at its back side, as at 22, to receivea lug 23 extended from a wall plate 24 to be secured to a support byscrews, as at 25. Provision is made for passing a screw bolt 25 througha Wall of the block 20 and into the lug 23 as seen in Fig. 6, to securethese parts. To remove the container, it is only necessary to removescrew 26.

For the support of the stack of cups in the container, I provide twocooperatively arranged stack supporting and cup separating plates 21 and28. These plates are located in the lower end portion of the housing,near the front and rear walls thereof, and in an upwardly divergingrelationship as shown in Fig. 3.

The plate 21, as seen in Fig. 5, comprises a single piece of sheetmetal, flat and of rectangular form, formed with inturned flanges 2929along opposite sides. Across its lower, horizontal edge, this plate hasan inwardly curled, rounded bead 30. This plate is fixed permanently inthe housing by any suitable means, for example, by welding or rivetingits flanges to the side walls of the housing. When secured it assumesthe position shown in Fig. 3.

The plate 28 comprises a single piece of sheet metal, of substantiallythe same size as plate 25, formed with inturned flanges 3l-3l atopposite edges and an inwardly curled bead 32 across its lower edge. Theflanges 3l3l are formed near upper and lower ends, respectively, withsmall outwardly struck bosses 34 and 35, as noted in Fig. 4. The bosses35, at the lower ends of the flanges, are adapted to be contained forguided adjustment in horizontal channels 36 that are pressed outwardlyfrom the lower edge portions of the side walls l3l3', while the bosses34 at the upperends of :the flanges are likewise contained in verticalchannels 37 that are pressed outwardly from the walls. The relativelocation of these channels is seen in Fig. 3.

'The plate 28 is closely fitted .between the side walls of thecontainer. The flanges 3l3l press against the side walls and the bosses"34 and 35 are held seated in their respective channels, and the platewill be yieldingly held at any set position, but its lower end portionmay be shifted toward or from the Opposite plate 21 to adapt the deviceto and provide for the support :of cups of :difierent diameters in thedevice.

when thezstack supporting plates are properly .seti'or cups of adesignated diameter, the bead H of the lowermost loop :as in the stackof nested ;oups will engage at opposite sides of the cup with the-;lo,wer end beads 80 and 32 of the two plates 27 and 23. By graspingthe lower end portion aof the lowermost cup and exerting :an easy.downward pull thereon, it will be released, since its peripheral rimportion will spring sufliciently to be disengaged from the supportingbeads Eli and .32, but the bead 2H 01 the next following cup of thestack will be engaged ;by the plate :beads, and

the stack thereby retained.

.move with this adjustment but are retained by the bosses 34 :channels'311.

In order that :the stack of cups may be easily :centered in the housingbetween the side walls,

the back plateZS .is formed with a downwardly pointed, -V-shaped recessto in its upper edgeand centrally located between the flanges, as willbe understood by reference to Fig. 4.

For :the support .of tooth brushes from this :housing, I have appliedmetal wings ll-M :to opposite side walls, and these are formed withopenings 42 through which the handle portions of brushes 43 may beextended as has been illustrated in Fig. 2.

Devices of this kind can be made of metal, plastics, fiber or othermaterials, and in sizes suitable to the various needs or desires. Theyprovide convenient and practical mean for the holding and dispensing ofcups.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as 116W therein, anddesire :to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1,. A container for flexible body drinking cups comprising a housingopen at its lower end, a pair of downwardly converging plates secured inthe housing with their lower edges in parallel relationship adjacent thelower end of the housing and adapted. to receive the lower end portionof a stack of cups between them; each plate being formed with a bead atits lower edge to engage the lowermost cup of the stack; one of saidplates being permanently fixed-and the other plate be- :ing formed {withflanges turned laterally .f-rom opposite sides and irictio ally engagedagainst the .side walls of the housing to :yieldingly retain the beadededge of the :plate at different positions of adiustment relative to thebeaded edge .of the fixed plate.

:2. Adeviee as ,recited in claim 1 whereinsaid housing .is stormed withhorizontal ichannels in its opposite :side walls near their lower edges,and

with 'izertical channels at a :higher level, and said flanges of theplate being gformed with outwardly :struckhosses movably contained .insaid channels to determine the positioniof the plate at variouspositions of adjustment.

'EINAR 1G. GILBERYISEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,027 ,353 Mosteller May 21, 19121,076,967 Fisher Oct. 28, 1913 2,315,827 Tansley Apr. 6, 1943 2,369,933Amberg Feb. 20, 19.45 2,373,217 Allen Apr. 10, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date.

21,893 Australia Aug. .19, 1930

